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No Clear Front-Runner for Republican Chairman

By Adam Nagourney January 11, 2009 12:46 pmJanuary 11, 2009 12:46 pm

There are six people running to be the next leader of the national Republican Party, and with the vote taking place in just weeks, it’s hard to find a single Republican leader who has any idea how it is going to turn out.

The fact that there is no obvious frontrunner — or even a clear two- or three-way race -– reflects the general turmoil in the party these days. But it also reflects the fact that each of these men has, whatever their selling points, definite downsides that is making it hard for them to close the sale.

The closest thing there is to a front-runner is Mike Duncan, the current chairman who is seeking reelection. Many members have rallied around Mr. Duncan’s candidacy as a safe choice, and someone who would bring continuity to the party.

But Mr. Duncan was put in the job by President Bush. That means he is closely identified with the president, at a time when the party is looking for a way to sever all ties with him, which he acknowledged was one of his biggest obstacles.

“I have to convince people that I can bring significant change to the R.N.C.,” he said. “The fact that I was asked by the president to do this is good and bad — and I’ve got to make that case for change.

Saul Anuzis, the chairman of the Michigan Republican Party, has been making a spirited effort to win support and has proven to be energetic and persistent. Mr. Anuzis’ potential problem is that he comes from a state that went very Democratic in the last presidential election.

Indeed, Senator John McCain pulled out of the state in October. That was, let the record be clear, over the objections of Mr. Anuzis, but his rivals –- including Katon Dawson, the chairman of South Carolina -– have pointed to Mr. Anuzis’ losing record in arguing why he is not the right man for this job.

Mr. Anuzis responded by suggesting that the very fact that he had to lead a party in a very contested state -– in contrast with, say, someone heading the party in a very Republican state like South Carolina –- qualified him for the job of running the party nationally.

“I would argue that you want somebody who has had to fight the fight in tough battles, and not just someone who has the luxury of running in a safe state,” he said.

Mr. Dawson and a fourth contender, Chip Saltsman, the Tennessee Republican chairman, have found themselves in the complicated position of being Southerners at a time that some Republicans are worried that the party is in danger of becoming narrowed to being just a party of the South. From that perspective, some party leaders believe, going to the South now would be precisely the wrong move -– an argument that both men strenuously disputed.

“That’s completely bogus,” Mr. Dawson said. “That is code for the Republican Party needs to be a moderate a party. The world and the political party are now flat. Republicans are Republicans: It doesn’t matter what region you are from.”

Mr. Saltsman said: “Ultimately it’s the policies and the principles that the party stands for that matters. I think that’s the identity of the party.”

A fifth candidate, Michael Steele, the former lieutenant governor of Maryland, faces opposition from conservatives in the party because while he opposes abortion, he favors an exemption in cases of rape and incest and danger to the life of the mother, a position that is not in accordance with the Republican Party platform. One of his key supporters, Jim Greer, the Florida Republican chairman, argued that Republicans had to be careful not to put so much emphasis on social issues at a time when the country was in such economic peril

“Michael Steele has said over and over again that he is pro-life,” he said. “But he is not obsessing on the issue.”

The sixth candidate, J. Kenneth Blackwell, was crushed when he ran as a Republican for governor of Ohio in 2006 by Ted Strickland, a loss in a battleground state that was certainly noticed by Republicans eager to find a way to get the party back in the winning column. He was, as secretary of state in 2004, and a supporter of President Bush embroiled with a number of vote-counting controversies in Ohio, and came under criticism for making rulings that Democrats said disenfranchised voters and tilted the playing field toward Mr. Bush.

All six candidates and the RNC need to go on Oprah for a complete makeover. In the meantime while Repugs are busy rebuilding their self image, Barack the Magic Negro will get to the business of restoring ethics, transparency in government, the shell shocked economy and hope for middle class Americans.

I understand that Adam Nagourney is a reporter, not an opinion-writer, and that the Times is a cautious, cautious broadsheet, but come on, guys, come on. How about a reality check?

Did you look at the electoral map?

The Republican party represents the Old South, and the Plain States–in other words, it represents whites (and to judge the by the vote breakdown, mostly white men.)

Obama won 95-plus percent of the black vote, 67-plus percent of the Latino vote and 62-plus percent of the Asian vote. And 44 percent of the white vote. (McCain won 55 percent of the white vote.)

The GOP is not only the party of the South, it *wants* to be the party of the south. Of the candidates for chairman, one sent out a CD with a “comical” racist song; another was forced to resign from his whites-only country club.

Are all Republicans closet Klansmen? No. Are most Rebublicans closet Klansmen? Don’t be they aren’t. Not if you value your money.

JP (poster #3), I am with you; I tell my colleagues the GOP convention resembled a Klan rally. And they still wonder why they lost this election?

Personally, as an African-American man who voted for Dubya twice (yes, yes — shame on me), I am gratified to be an Obama-can. I hope the GOP votes for Chip Saltsman as RNC chair and puts up Governor Sarah Palin as its 2012 presidential nominee: these moves will all but ensure the reelection of Obama/Biden and hasten the demise of the GOP to irrelevance.

Blackwell and Steele may not want to jump in like that woman did (Palin). Just because they are African American does not mean they will be able to easy the pain that the Republicans have put on the American people. I would like it if they stop using CHANGE in their speeches, and while being interviewed by the media. I hope no other Republican get into the White House ever again.

Sarah Palin clearly is the highest profile fresh face and the person who epitomized the heart and soul of the Republican Party 2008. No one can question her impact on the final results of the election. Her videos are among the most viewed on the net.

With Palin as chair of the party, this will ensure that Obama will have an uninterrupted 8 years to implement his new vision for America.

The GOP trying to find a chairman is a party looking for a vision and direction; the have neither.This story, and others circulating, about the GOP trying to appoint a leader.

The press has reported:

1. Make the party more diverse and a a party of “sothern white men”
2. Court Hispanics/Latinos to add to their base to add to their diversity.
3. Continue their conservative agenda.
4. Continue with their fiscal agenda (lower taxes, more deregulation, etc.).
5. Continue with their culture agenda.

This does not sound like a progressive party with new ideas. This sounds like a party that if they add a few non-Anglo members to their their highest levels, they will appeal to the general populace. It also does not sound like a party that has figured out what happened in November.

While the Democratic Party has been a party of diversity for many years; the Republican Party has only made token gestures in their diversity. Problem is, the GOP is trying to copy the Democrats model to push their agenda. Sort of like using abortion as a way to get Catholic and Christian voters. So, they want to expand to diversity wars, to add to culture and social wars to their platform. That is, continue the attacks with nothing new to offer.

Meanwhile, the press is right about another thing. The GOP is now a party of southern (and some western) white men and resembles remake of George Wallace’s American Independent party of 1968. The GOP only has obstructionism as a weapon in Congress and tired policies which continue to drive away the rest of their moderate, intellectual base.

The only way the GOP can compete is they need to completely remake their party from the ground up. They have to tear it all down and start anew. However, unlike post-Watergate in the 1970s, they will have a long, tough road to haul for many years to come. It does not help that the majority of Americans blame the current economic crisis squarely on the Republicans. It does not help that they are using their exiting agenda to fight the incoming Obama administration. It helps less that each day they delay legislation; more people lose their jobs, homes and savings. Again, this methodology will only cause even greater erosion of the GOP.

They have a choice, go though the pain of complete reconstruction or continue on their current road to becoming an insignificant regional party of the old Confederacy and white, evangelical Christians primarily located in rural areas of the country.

Of course there is no clear front runner for the GOP Chairmanship. It’s kind of like accepting the head coaching position to the Detroit Lions. Probably anyone at this point can get a job there, but its going to take years to make it a winning organization.

Why are we pretending anyone cares who the RNC chair is? The RNC chair is almost never in the news and whether he or she is African-American will be utterly inconsequential.

However, their platform might affect on their prospects, I’m amazed that the official Republican platform does not have a provision for incest, rape or health of the mother. I didn’t know that. Maybe I’m soft-hearted, but I feel a bit of sympathy for any party that out of touch.

Someone would have to bite the bullet and give up their presidential aspirations and become RNC chair in order for the RNC to have an effective chairman. Romney would actually be a great pick. Huckabee would also be a great pick. But that isn’t going to happens so the GOP is stuck with this leaderless vacuum and nothing but bums to choose from.

If you want to choose the right guy, you have to have the criteria known:
a white guy over 45.
no abortion under any circumstance
not just christian, but born again christian only
military service optional, but helpful
if no military service, compensate with hawkish fervor
speak in code about black people (wink wink)
speak in code about hispanics (wink wink)
scientific facts are just one scientists’ opinion
must think of political opponents as unpatriotic
must hate government and then fullfill that prophesy
must deify Ronald Reagan
must put down the media and liberals
a healthy green environment is not a priority (unless you are living in a wealthy neighborhood)
southern state resident
self righteousness a plus
blame opponents for evreything wrong with our nation

Some have suggested that secessionist Sarah Palin would be a great pick. She might propose a new “bridge to nowhere” which, in reality, leads her supporters to establish a very homogenous, if not backwards and uninspiring, community in a frozen corner of Russia.

Oh yes, I vote for Palin to be the chairperson.
Please please please.
And maybe she can pull a Cheney and nominate herself for office. Please please.
She’s good enough, she’s smart enough and gosh darn it, people like her.

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